AG Nessel Joins 38-State and Territory Bipartisan Coalition Urging Congress to Take Action Against Rise in Organized Retail Crime

LANSING – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has joined a 38-state and territory bipartisan coalition in urging Congress to take action to address the rise in organized retail crime across the country.  

Organized retail crime has contributed to financial losses totaling over $121 billion in the U.S., and 76 percent of retail asset protection managers report their employees have suffered from violence at the hands of an organized retail criminal. In 2022, retailers in Michigan lost over $2 billion in revenue to theft. Cargo theft remains a primary component of organized retail crime nationwide – disrupting supply chains and acting as an inflationary pressure on the price of everything from baby formula to clothing. 

During the 118th Congress, the House and Senate introduced H.R.895/S.140 – Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 and S.139 – Organized Retail Crime Center Authorization Act of 2023. This legislation would provide the necessary resources at the state and federal levels to bring the organizations and individuals behind this nationwide problem to justice. Now, the coalition is urging the 119th Congress to re-introduce this bill to include increased federal penalties for supply chain thefts to act as a strong deterrent against the organized theft of goods in transit.

In the letter (PDF), the coalition notes that legislation proposed in the 118th Congress would expand upon and synchronize state and federal efforts with the creation of an Organized Retail Crime Coordination Center at the Department of Homeland Security, facilitating the information sharing necessary to address the complex cross-border nature of organized retail crime.

“The FORCE Team has had incredible success stopping organized retail crime rings in their tracks through strong partnerships with retailers and local, state, and federal agencies,” Nessel said. “As these major criminal operations continue to become more sophisticated and complex, I urge Congress to provide additional resources to support our critical work in dismantling them, holding perpetrators accountable, and protecting businesses, employees, and consumers across Michigan.”

Attorney General Nessel has been at the forefront of combatting organized retail crime in Michigan. The Attorney General established the FORCE Team and the Organized Retail Crime Unit in January 2023 to target criminal organizations that steal products from retailers to repackage and sell for a profit. Since its inception, the FORCE team has charged more than 85 defendants in 42 cases and halted crime rings responsible for tens of millions of dollars in losses to our retailers in Michigan, recovering over $10 million in merchandise and millions more in cash and cryptocurrency seized from these criminal enterprises.

Two assistant attorneys general serve the unit full time, working with special agents within the Department of Attorney General and with Michigan State Police detectives to investigate and prosecute these crimes. The FORCE team also partners with the FBI’s Detroit Fraud and Financial Crimes Task Force and the Postal Inspection Service. The first-in-the-nation unit, unique in the 50 states as being the first such unit with embedded, dedicated staff from the Department of Attorney General, welcomed the Biden Administration last year to a roundtable highlighting the FORCE team’s achievements.  

The FORCE Team is dedicated to working collaboratively with retailers and local law enforcement agencies to combat organized retail crime. FORCE is an acronym that stands for Focused Organized Retail Crime Enforcement. Recent corporate partners on investigations have included Sam’s Club/Walmart, Meijer, Target, Home Depot, TJ Maxx, Rite-Aid, Lululemon, Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and Lowe’s.

The attorneys general from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, and South Carolina co-led the letter to Congress. Joining them and Attorney General Nessel are the attorneys general from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, and West Virginia.

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